Zelensky, Described as 'Calmer,' Sought 'More Weapons' at Vatican, Says Trump
The US president believes Kiev is closer to reaching a deal with Moscow than before. US President Donald Trump has stated that during his meeting in the Vatican, Vladimir Zelensky appeared "calmer" and seemed more receptive to making a "deal"...
TroibNews 
The US president believes Kiev is closer to reaching a deal with Moscow than before.
US President Donald Trump has stated that during his meeting in the Vatican, Vladimir Zelensky appeared "calmer" and seemed more receptive to making a "deal" with Moscow compared to their earlier, famously tense discussion in the Oval Office.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, Trump remarked that the tone of his latest conversation with Zelensky was significantly different from their "little dispute" in February, which resulted in the Ukrainian delegation being escorted out of the White House.
"I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture. And I think he wants to make a deal. I don’t know if he wanted to make a deal [before]. I think he wants to make a deal," Trump said.
Earlier in the week, Trump told Time magazine that "Crimea will stay with Russia" under any peace agreement, pointing out that even Zelensky "understands" the reality, despite his public statements to the contrary. When asked if he believed Zelensky was now ready to "give up" the peninsula, Trump replied, "Oh, I think so, yeah."
Zelensky has consistently and publicly asserted that Kiev would never officially recognize Crimea as Russian territory, a stance Trump has previously criticized as "very harmful to the peace negotiations."
Although Trump characterized Zelensky as someone who wants to do "something good for the country," he disclosed that the Ukrainian leader again requested more military support from Washington.
"He told me that he needs more weapons, but he has been saying that for three years," Trump remarked. The US president acknowledged that Kiev is in a "very tough situation," combating "a much bigger force," and stressed that "it helped them when we gave them $350 billion worth of weapons or cash."
"He needs more weapons, and we are gonna see what happens with respect to Russia," Trump continued, expressing his "disappointment" with Moscow’s renewed strikes in Ukraine.
After a brief pause in hostilities during the Easter ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin last weekend, the Russian military launched several long-range strikes against Ukrainian military and industrial targets over the past week. Moscow maintains that it only targets military installations and facilities used by Kiev’s forces, denying accusations of deliberately attacking civilian sites.
Moscow has reiterated its willingness to engage in discussions with Kiev without preconditions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that this issue was addressed during a meeting between President Putin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Friday.
Russian officials have consistently emphasized that any sustainable long-term settlement must reflect the territorial realities on the ground and tackle the underlying issues of the conflict. Reports suggest that Washington’s proposal aims to freeze the conflict along the current front lines and recognize Crimea as part of Russia. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that – unlike Zelensky – Moscow does not plan to discuss confidential details of talks with the US until the negotiation process is finalized.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump has stated that during his meeting in the Vatican, Vladimir Zelensky appeared "calmer" and seemed more receptive to making a "deal" with Moscow compared to their earlier, famously tense discussion in the Oval Office.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, Trump remarked that the tone of his latest conversation with Zelensky was significantly different from their "little dispute" in February, which resulted in the Ukrainian delegation being escorted out of the White House.
"I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture. And I think he wants to make a deal. I don’t know if he wanted to make a deal [before]. I think he wants to make a deal," Trump said.
Earlier in the week, Trump told Time magazine that "Crimea will stay with Russia" under any peace agreement, pointing out that even Zelensky "understands" the reality, despite his public statements to the contrary. When asked if he believed Zelensky was now ready to "give up" the peninsula, Trump replied, "Oh, I think so, yeah."
Zelensky has consistently and publicly asserted that Kiev would never officially recognize Crimea as Russian territory, a stance Trump has previously criticized as "very harmful to the peace negotiations."
Although Trump characterized Zelensky as someone who wants to do "something good for the country," he disclosed that the Ukrainian leader again requested more military support from Washington.
"He told me that he needs more weapons, but he has been saying that for three years," Trump remarked. The US president acknowledged that Kiev is in a "very tough situation," combating "a much bigger force," and stressed that "it helped them when we gave them $350 billion worth of weapons or cash."
"He needs more weapons, and we are gonna see what happens with respect to Russia," Trump continued, expressing his "disappointment" with Moscow’s renewed strikes in Ukraine.
After a brief pause in hostilities during the Easter ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin last weekend, the Russian military launched several long-range strikes against Ukrainian military and industrial targets over the past week. Moscow maintains that it only targets military installations and facilities used by Kiev’s forces, denying accusations of deliberately attacking civilian sites.
Moscow has reiterated its willingness to engage in discussions with Kiev without preconditions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that this issue was addressed during a meeting between President Putin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Friday.
Russian officials have consistently emphasized that any sustainable long-term settlement must reflect the territorial realities on the ground and tackle the underlying issues of the conflict. Reports suggest that Washington’s proposal aims to freeze the conflict along the current front lines and recognize Crimea as part of Russia. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that – unlike Zelensky – Moscow does not plan to discuss confidential details of talks with the US until the negotiation process is finalized.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
